I, Tess (Labrador) am taking the old man on a 230 mile walk in memory of Margot my mistress and his wife. This walk is to raise money for Macmillan cancer support. We are trying to raise £20,000 and have set up a tribute fund – http://macmillan.tributefunds.com/MargotPratt

Post navigation

Today we went for a short walk up Glen Rosa where my Auntie Susie and Uncle Jim had organised a memorial bench at one of mummy’s favourite views and Susie scattered some ashes beside the bench. Tomorrow we will inter the remainder of the ashes with mummy’s daughter Nicola, I don’t suppose that will be a very happy day.

Why do they not make keyboards big enough for doggies paws? Don’t I look cool!?

Today is the final day of my walk to commemorate my human mummies life and to raise some money for Macmillan Cancer Support. We walked up Goatfell to scatter some of her ashes on the summit as that is one of the places that she wanted to always be.

He found some more friends ( I think he must have hired them ‘cos I cannot believe he has so many. Maybe of course they are really mummy’s old pals). There were 19 people and 5 dogs. I was a bit upset as we walked up as I could sense that he was quite sad.

Everybody stayed close together and the walk was good fun until we got on to the ridge when what he called mist surrounded us. We could not see far but that was good for Meg and myself as we could easily run off out of sight. Then we would hide and laugh at them calling out for us! Hee, hee.

They took a long time to get to the top – I suppose because of my old man. When we arrived we all had something to eat – he even remembered to give us biccies! Then he said a few words and scattered the ashes. I bet mummy was watching us and having a good laugh at us all standing up here, cold and with no view. The bottle of whisky was brought out of Campbell’s (my human brother) rucksac.

A toast to mummy’s memory was made.

Whoa. This is my walk my whisky!

We then walked back down the path to the cars. In the evening we had a big party and my Auntie Susie had produced a mountain of food that I heard them all saying was wonderful. Not that we were allowed any of it but I suppose we got extra food at dinner time and a few extra biccies.

I have really enjoyed the walk especially as we were doing it in memory of mummy who was a very special person to me and to him and to a great deal of others. Please remember that we also did it to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Between you and I my comments about him were only in fun and I really do like him. He really is my best pal but please, please do not tell I said so. We really have to keep him on his toes.

Hey Pops do you fancy walking back to Lewis? Oh my Giddy Aunt he has just passed out! I will have to go and lick him back to life. Bye.

P.S. he has recovered. For a moment I thought that he had popped his clogs. I really would miss him. Shhhh… don’t tell him I said that. I hope he lives till he is at least 82. I will be over sixteen by then and Labradors don’t usually need fed after that!

If you have enjoyed reading my blog you can always show your appreciation and donate through macmillantributefunds/margot pratt.

Today was a short walk along Forestry roads and tracks Once again we were joined by Kay and she brought Hector, a massive German Wire Haired Pointer. He was so huge that Meg and I were a wee bit scared. We soon found that he was OK but quite heavy when he accidentally jumped on top of my sister. Along the side of the road were hundreds of pools big enough for Meg and I to swim in but too small for Hector. He just got covered in mud and was minging by the end of the walk. No way was he allowed in Jim’s car so he and Kay had to walk back to their home in Brodick. Meanwhile Meg and I were clean and beautiful. As always.

At one point we had to cross a small stream. He came up with a brilliant idea – we would cross using what he called a bridge. Well, why did we no do that yesterday when he fell in the big river? There was one of these bridge things a short way up the river. Is he really fit to be responsible for a poor vulnerable dog? His camera, by the way, is OK. He spent hours drying it out. So lots of stops (rests) to take of photies. He should really concentrate on drying out himself. Far too much of that whisky stuff!

We soon reached the path that we will take to climb Goatfell on Saturday. On Saturday we will be joined by lots of friends (people who are nice enough to feel sorry for him). I hope they all have pockets full of biccies!

My friends Cal Mac with their ferry Isle of Arran ready to save me another long swim.

Tomorrow he says is a day of rest. Whoa! Hang on! Meg and I better get a walk or we will come and poo in your campervan!

Well. This was an interesting day. The plan was to walk from Lochranza to just beyond the village of Corrie where he first stayed on Arran and where he worked to get a pension to feed me. Mission accomplished. The walk was brilliant as I had my sister Meg to play with and my auntie Kay to keep him in order. Actually she overstepped the mark and tried to keep me and sis in order. Tried!

On the way to Lochranza he got a phone call from my lovely Aunt Nina (by the way far too good for his son Campbell). She had tweeted Arran Distillery to suggest that he might need some help up Goatfell on Saturday. They have very generously donated a fine bottle of 10 year old Single Arran malt to give everyone a snifter at the top of the mountain. How appropriate as Arran whiskies (all of them by the way) were Margot’s favourite tipple. You should have seen his face when he came out of the Distillery clutching the bottle! Thank goodness something could put a smile on his face. Alas! The smiles would not last all day!

Me and sis looking over the hills that produce the special water for the Distillery.

The walk up the hill with sis was special as we had not seen each other for over eight months. Meg still rolls in every dead animal whereas I have really become quite sophisticated and only occasionally roll to get him worked up. We walked over a ridge and then down to Laggan cottage on the North shore of Arran. Sea, water, swim.

Lunch time at Laggan Cottage.

Just like the old days whenCal mac used to have the name of the pier on a notice and he instantly could tell where we were!

We walked on to North Glen Sannox where we had to cross over a river. He used a few stepping stones before he slipped gracefully under the water. Meg and I thought it was a game and joined in splashing all round him causing him to fall again. Soon we realised from his words to us that his was no game. That very expensive camera equally did not enjoy the game. Neither did his I Phone. An hour later with everything wiped except for him (tee hee) we walked to the road at Sannox Village. This was done in silence.

Now seven hours later he has dried out that b….y camera enough to download some photies.

Tomorrow we have to walk a short walk to get us to the bottom of Goatfell.

Hope he has calmed down before then. Anyway sis and Kay should cheer him up if I cannot. Wish me luck!

We walked from Ardrishaig to Inverneill on sunday evening in pouring rain so that we would be ready to start a long walk on the road on Monday. He was very worried about this and decided on a 4am. start.

Well this pleased me to start with as I got my breakfast very, very early. But I did not realise that it would be a long, long time until he fed me again. Very rumbly tummy. Things got even worse! He started to dress me up in a bright jacket that he described as a high vis vest. Why? So that the lorry drivers would slow down for me. But they will slow down any way to admire me silly. AND the lead.

All dressed up. Once again you can tellhow I feel about this. Note the sick bowl!

Actually I did not like this walk on the road as there were dozens of lorries and often no place to step off the road as cliffs often came right down to the edge of the road at the corners. The lorries were huge and very noisy. I was frightened. What would the RSPCA say about this silly idea. When we got to a track and off the road – lead off, jacket off and I’m OFF.

Pleasant track.

This part was really nice, plenty of space, mud to roll in and water to swim in. Cool. But all good things come to an end and we were back on the road all dressed and trussed up. Fotunately it did not take long to get to Tarbert.

Now I got a big gunk! We had to get on a bus to get back to the campervan. The driver was not at all keen but HE managed to persuade him to let me on. The vibration upset me like it did when I went on that noisy boat at Ardfern. We went to Tarbert and visited people before we went to Cloanaig and walked to Skipness and back to the van.

This was to save his wee legs from walking on a road at the end of the day. So no roads, no dressing up and no leads tomorrow!

Tarbert to Skipness.

He did not tell me that I had to endure yet another bus journey to get back to Tarbert and the start of the walk. No Likey. I shook like a leaf and actually sat on his knee and cuddled. I suppose he was really quite nice to me – so he should be! It was all his idea in the first place.

We followed the first stage of something called the Kintyre Way. We walked (he did – I ran) up to Tarbert Castle where there was lots of sheep – funny black ones. I thought that I had arrived in heaven as they all looked like Black Labradors with boys as well as girls AND all smelling wonderful.

Great walk, lots of freedom, no rows from him and I could not see this Goatfell thing that we were heading for as it was hazy. What is hazy? I thought it was something that happened to him when he drank that whisky stuff? The last mile to Skipness we ran – well he called it running. It was a bit pathetic watching him shuffling down the track. The best laugh was that he was in a hurry to catch the 13.20 ferry. It was actually scheduled for 13.50! Can he really read and you would think that he could have looked out to sea and seen that the ferry was still heading to Lochranza – the opposite way!!! He is supposed to be my guardian.

The Final Straight. I felt like Eddie the Eagle. A wee bit of snow and off we go with a quick leap over to Arran.

I am so glad that this track was well marked with blue posts as the way things are going I don’t think that we would ever be seen again if we had to rely on his navigation. I suppose in the end I would just have to abandon him around dinner time.

Kintyre Way markers to guide one towards safety and another meal!

We arrived at the ferry a good thirty minutes early. Over to Arran and down to Brodick to meet my sister Meg who is nearly as beautiful as me. At last some good fun. Got him to throw sticks for us to thug each other over.

Tomorrow we go back to Lochranza and walk back along the coast to Corrie. Meg is coming on this walk with Kay. So looks like a good day.

This has been a be nice to Tess period. We have done lots of short walks and even been allowed to have swims.

Clean dog!

The Hogroast was last night and 200 people all came to see me. I was the star of the show but I found it a bit overwhelming and had to ask him to say all the thanks to all the people. What a fantastic effort by all of the Yard staff, by Micheal with the Hogroast who gave 10% of his fee as a donation, the band Murray, Nigel and Tom who played for no fee and a special thank you to Joanna who hosted, organised and funded the Hogroast.

Many thanks also to all who donated generously to Macmillan Cancer Support. We raised a staggering £4014.16p. This will take a few days to filter through to the Tribute Page but brings the total up to nearly £11,000. Well done everyone.

After eating the band played and although everyone enjoyed it I do not like lots of noise so went back to the campervan to sleep.

You can tell from my face that I really love dressing up.

Thanks again to Cal Mac for saving me some long swims!

It is pouring with rain and he says we are going to walk a few miles this afternoon. Thinks – RSPCA.

Then we are walking at 4am the next morning to avoid traffic. Beam me up Scottie.